The Residence Survival Series Part One: The Obvious and the Obscure

"The Residence Survival Series Part One: The Obvious and the Obscure", August 2007

At this point, everyone has now received their residence assignments, and due to this, many students are wondering what they should bring when they move into McMaster on one of the first few days of September. However, do not worry my little kidlets; I have compiled a listof 32 things for you that will answer many of your questions, as well as prepare you for the upcoming year. This list is by no means exhaustive, and not necessarily what all people would want to bring into residence. However, I either brought, or wished I brought the items I am passing on to all of you. MacInsiders has you covered!

1. Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc)
2. A caddy or basket (preferably with holes in the bottom) to bring your things into the shower with you
3. Flip flops or slides for in the shower
4. A fan (Welcome Week is usually VERY hot)
5. If you can afford it, a portable air conditioner, like those advertised at Future Shop
6. Kleenex: you will get sick while living in residence.
7. Over the counter drugs, such as Immodium, Tylenol, Nyquil, Pepto-Bismal, Advil etc
8. Any medications you take, or sometimes take (like an Epi-pen).
9. First aid supplies (band-aids, polysporin, q-tips)
10. Laundry soap and dryer sheets
11. A hamper or laundry bag for dirty clothes and to transport said clothes to the washing machines in the basement
12. Coins in rolls (loonies and quarters) to pay for washing and drying clothes ($1.25 per load)
13. A mini fridge like these advertised at Wal-Mart. You can also rent one through the school, as well as pick one up used on websites like eBay.
14. Snack foods and drinks. Buying drinks for every meal can be expensive and run up your meal card dollars quickly. There is nowhere on campus that sells food open past midnight, so if you’re hungry at 1AM you’ve got to have some options.
15. Healthy snacks! Milk, fruit, veggies, yogurt etc.
16. Disposable, re-sealable containers made by companies like Glad, Ziploc and Rubbermaid to store left-overs and re-heat items
17. A plate, bowl, cutlery set, and pot to re-heat food or make snacks like KD
18. A Brita water filter and a Nalgene: it’s much cheaper than buying cases of bottled water, and much better for the environment
19. Two sets of bed sheets: you should wash them once a week, so if you have two sets you don’t have to wash them every week!
20. Two towels: again, so you don’t need to wash one every week.
21. Stuff to clean your room: paper towel, Windex, Lysol etc. You can borrow vacuums from the service desks, so there is no need to bring one.
22. A shoe mat for wet and/or dirty shoes: Available at Dollarama! Dollarama is your new friend while in university!
23. Slippers or shoes to wear in the building when it is wet or snowy. Shower sandals usually work well.
24. Organizational storage: such as the ANDY unit from IKEA. Wal Mart and Zellers sell similar items, and often at cheaper prices.
25. School supplies: binders, notebooks, pens, pencils, hi-lighters, white-out, the McMaster approved calculator, etc. You actually do need them, and will do work this year, contrary to high school.
26. Mementos from home: photos, stuffed animals, notes, art.
27. A plant! Cactuses, bamboo and aloe typically do well.
28. Back-up software for your computer. You never know what may happen.
29. A camera to take pictures with
30. A lock for using the lockers at the gym
31. A bathing suit to go swimming during the free swims at the pool and/or to play innertube water polo
32. Ear plugs. Some people have room mates who talk in their sleep or snore. Other students find ear plugs helpful when studying to block out noise.

I think I have more or less everything possible covered…